Legislators hope building gets more money

Gov. Sean Parnell has included $20 million for the state’s new Library, Archives and Museum project in his budget for next year. That’s money the Juneau legislative delegation says is much appreciated, but it’s got some legislators asking why the amount is so small.

“Why aren’t we doing this in one fell swoop at a time we have the cash money?” asked Sen. Johnny Ellis, D-Anchorage, chairman of the Senate Rules Committee.

Some of the funding for the $128.5 million project is already in hand and being spent on land acquisition, design and site work, but even with the current budget request another $74.5 million will be needed.

The project has to compete with many other projects, said Mark Lewis, legislative liaison for the Department of Education & Early Development, which includes the Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums.

“We can only put forward what we feel is appropriate at this point in time,” he said.

“We have to look at the governor’s total package and the priorities he may have in front of him,” he said.

Lewis was speaking before the Senate Finance Committee, where Ellis is a member, and was pressed on the funding issue.

Engineers working to design the new building that will house three separate functions, now in separate buildings, said doing the project all at once and as quickly as possible will save the state millions on costs.

The existing facilities have suffered from flooding and water problems, placing their collections at risk.

“The dire condition of those facilities has been well known to the administration and the Legislature for some time now,” Ellis said.

“I don’t understand why you are not asking for the full amount to construct the project so we can get it done,” he said.

Last month at a presentation in Juneau, the builder warned construction costs are rising, and expected to go higher as the economy rebounds.